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Tapioca
Sago is generally Known as "SAGO (SABUDANA in Hindi or
JAVVARISHI in Tamil)" in India.
Sago is a produce,
prepared from the milk of "Tapioca Root". Its Botanical name is
"Manihot Esculenta Crantz Syn.Utilissima".
This is a well known crop that is recognized
by several names in the various regions where it is consumed.
It is known as yuca, rumu or manioca in Latin America, manioc
in French-speaking Africa and Madagascar, cassava in
English-speaking Africa, Ceylon and Thailand, mandioca or
aipim in Brazil, tapioca in India and Malaysia, and bi ketella
or kaspe in Indonesia (FAO, 1998). Sweet varieties of the crop
such as Manihot utilissima Pohl are reported to have lower
levels of cyanogenic glycosides, while bitter-tasting
varieties exemplified by cultivars such as Manihot palmata
Muell and Manihot aipr Pohl are thought to have higher levels
of cyanogenic glycosides. These cultivars fall within the
species Manihot esculenta Crantz which belongs to the family
Euphorblaceae (Dixon, 1979; Lancaster et al., 1982; FAO 1998).
Tapioca root has a high resistance to plant
disease and high tolerance to extreme stress conditions such
as periods of drought and poor soils.
Fresh roots contain about 60 - 70% moisture, 7
- 12% protein, 5 - 13% starch (32 - 35% total carbohydrate)
and trace amounts of fat (Lancaster et al., 1982; Jackson,
1990; FAO, 1998). The high starch and moisture content render
it extremely perishable. (Hahn 1989; Mlingi et al., 1996).
Processing is therefore indispensable to facilitate
preservation, improve palatability and product quality as well
as reduce cyanogenic glycoside toxicity (Jones, 1998).
The cassava or manioc plant has its origin in
South America. Amazonian Indians used cassava instead of or in
addition to rice/potato/maize. Portuguese explorers introduced
cassava to Africa through their trade with the African coasts
and nearby islands. Tapioca
was introduced in India during the later part of the 19th
Century, Now, mainly grown in the States of Kerala,
Andhra-Pradesh, & Tamilnadu. Products from Tapioca like
Starch & Sago introduced in India only in 1940s upwards.
First by hand manually & later developed indigenous
production methods.
Currently,
The Tamilnadu State stands first in respect of processing of
tapioca into starch & sago, in India.
In
India, Sago was produced first in Salem (Tamilnadu). About in
1943-44, Some 50 years ago, sago production started on a
cottage scale basis in India by pulping the tapioca roots,
filtering the milk-extract and after settling the milk,
forming globules and roasting these globules.
Tapioca
Root is the basic raw material for Sago and starch.
There
is about 30% to 35% starch contents generally in Indian
tapioca root.
India
is one of the leading countries in tapioca production.
About
650 to 700 units is engaged in tapioca processing in Salem
district (Tamilnadu State).
It
is a very nutritious product as it contains Carbohydrates and
appreciable amount of Calcium and Vitamin-C.
The
Root, received from the farms are hygienically cleaned in
water & after peeling the skin, it is crushed, allowed to
pass the milk after retaining all fiber & impurities. The
milk is going to settle in a tank for nearly 3 to8 hours, thus
all residual impurities float to the top of the tank & are
drained out of the settled milk. From this settled Milk Cake,
Globules is being made by a very special & unique type
system on very simple indigenous machine. After sizing the
globules by filtering through sieve, It is Roasted on Hot
plates or Heated in steam depending upon the final product
desired as Sago in globular shape & than dried under
direct sunlight in big platforms.
Roasted Sago is
known as Sago Common and Boiled Sago as Nylon Sago.
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